October 27, 1997|by PATRICK DRAKE (A free-lance story for The Morning Call)

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has threatened to shut down North Catasauqua Borough Hall, newly renovated in February at a cost of about $200,000, because the building lacks emergency lighting on parts of the first and third floors.

The department cited the borough for the lighting problems and for failing to submit proper plans to the state in December 1996 in violation of Pennsylvania's Fire and Panic Act, according to state documents.

And the borough has failed to remedy the violations or even respond to the citation, according to state spokesman Scott Burkett.

But the part of the hall that is used by council and other borough officials, the extensively remodeled second floor, is safe and meets all state building guidelines, according to Michael Sisko, the borough's building inspector.

The third floor of the hall is unoccupied and used mainly for storage, according to borough officials. Parts of the first floor are used by the fire department.

Borough Solicitor Emil Giordano also believes the hall is safe and probably meets all of the state's building requirements, but he admits the borough may have failed to submit all the required plans.

"I believe the building complies (with the state building code), but the plan does not," said Giordano, who has filed a 60-day extension to correct any violations.

Giordano said he is now working with the state labor department to correct the problems and hopes to get a state inspector to come to the hall to explain exactly what the violations are.

The state sent the borough a letter on Sept. 19 ordering the borough to either show why the hall need not meet the building requirements or vacate the premises altogether.

The borough has failed to submit plans for the hall's new, larger wheelchair ramp which was installed during the renovations, according to the state. And a door on the first floor doesn't meet emergency-exit requirements , state documents said.

Unless it is declared officially unoccupied by the state, the third and first floors must still have emergency lighting, according to Burkett.

Borough hall was built in 1913 and was used as the North Catasauqua Grammar School until 1976, when it was given to the borough.